Thought For Today - December 13 - No Light In The Window !

Thought For Today - December 13
 No Light in the Window!
By: Robert A. Searles

    There is no one at home tonight at the old home place. No light in the window, no fire in the hearth, no friendly voices of welcome as in days gone by.  Once there was a mother's prayer, a father's strong arm and the light of love and faith, and the aroma of life, where now only barren and void stands the old homestead, beat upon by the rain of summer, the winds and storms of winter, and torn by the lashing torrent of the passing of time.

    Abandoned and alone it stands like the cast off shell of something that once was alive, slowly moldering, and decaying, and returning unto the dust, like the shells of those whose voices once caused its' rooms to vibrate and resound with laughter. 

    Where are the former tenants of so forlorn a place? Is there no one to light a fire in the hearth? Is there no one to put a light in the window? Is there no one who cares that I have come home from the wars: - the battle of good and evil; of right and wrong; of righteousness and unrighteousness? Is there no one to welcome me and succor me? No, time was, time has been, time is gone, time waits for no man. One by one I have watched them go down the valley to meet the lover of their souls. It is said that life is forever, and there is no end of love. Ah! what blessed truth! Our Lord and Savior said: "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me , though he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." John 11: 25,26.

    They believed and they trusted, and so they occupy stately mansions in a far off country. Jesus said: "In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so I would have told you." John 14: 2

    I shall turn and go forever from the old home place which is abandoned and alone, and torn by the passing of time. Return to your dust from whence you came. Never again will a light shine from your windows to light my pathway. Never again will a fire burn in your hearth to warm my soul, never again will I hear on earth those voices so dear to me. Fall into your dust ye abandoned and desolate relic of time and space, for these mortals have put on immortality.

    "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Corinthians 15: 55. Know ye not that on the resurrection morning the trumpet of God shall sound and the dead in Christ shall arise? 

    In that far off country, in my Father's house there is a light shinning to guide me home. There is an un extinguishable fire of God's love and mercy burning on the hearth. There are those who are waiting to welcome me home from the wars: the battles of good and evil; right and wrong; righteousness and unrighteousness. When my life's work is over, when I have fought a good fight, when I have run the race, then I too shall make my way down the valley to meet the lover of my soul. I shall walk up the lane to my Father's house and receive the welcome of my Lord. Then, I hope to see the ones I cannot see tonight.

    Father, if you see mother first, tell her that her prayers were not in vain. Tell her that I love her and I will be coming home from the wars one day soon. Mother, if you see dad first, tell him that his labors were not in vain. Jesus, tell those I love that I love you, because you first loved me and gave yourself for me. Tell them that I want to work for you and serve you a while longer here on earth so that I might tell the good news of your amazing grace to save the lost, and bear fruit to your glory, but some day we will meet at the marriage supper of the Lamb and renew old acquaintances and rejoice forever in the presence of our Savior in the everlasting mansions on high.
    Dedicated to the memory of my father and mother at home with the Lord.

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Thought For Today - December 12 - Christmas Time !

 Thought For Today -December 12
 Christmas Time!
By: Robert A. Searles

    It is only a few more days before Christmas. This is the time for the giving and receiving of gifts. Who is the most important person on your Christmas gift list?

    We celebrate the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas time, but do we really? Where are our thoughts, and where is our mind and our heart focused, really, at Christmas time.? We ought to be celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but I wonder if he is at the top of our Christmas giving and receiving list, or at the middle, or at the end , or is he really there at all?
   
    As we gather around with our family and friends to celebrate this most festive of occasions, the first gift that ought to be received with gratitude and thanksgiving is God's love gift to us, the Lord Jesus Christ. Open his gift first. Give him gratitude and praise him first for his gift of love.

    At Christmas time "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3: 16.

 At Christmas time God offered us the opportunity to become his adopted children by grace through faith. "As many as received him to them gave he the power (or authority) to become the sons of God." 

At Christmas time he made it possible for us as the children of God to become heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. At Christmas time, God gave gifts unto men. "Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men." Ephesians 4: 8. At Christmas time, God provided for our salvation.

    Salvation is a big package, containing many things. It first of all contains forgiveness of sins, freedom from guilt, justification with God. It includes peace and joy and all the fruits of the Spirit. It contains everlasting eternal life. It guarantees an all expense paid trip to heaven and the right to walk on streets of gold. It guarantees that there is a mansion prepared and waiting for us in heaven. Jesus said: "I go to prepare a place for you and if I go I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also." John 14.

 The package of our salvation contains abundant life here on earth, protection from danger, healing for mind soul and body, and a guaranteed audience with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It contains all the provisions available to us in the 23 rd Psalm. It all happened at Christmas, and what a Christmas gift it is, thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we gather to receive and give gifts, lets first thank Christ that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, the godly for the ungodly and the righteous for the unrighteous.

    Lets covenant with ourselves and with each other that we will not receive any gift from anyone else this Christmas time until we have received with gratitude in our heart, the treasure that was given to us at Christmas time. No matter how abject the poverty, or how small the bank account, or how few the gifts under the tree, no one has a right to say that they received nothing for Christmas. God gave us everything he had at Christmas time. Lets covenant with ourselves that we will not offer to anyone else our meager trinkets or gifts until we have rededicated our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ and offered our selves again to him in loving gratitude and service.

    "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present you bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12: 1. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." Matthew 6:33.

    Every gift that we present to someone else should not be with the attitude of seeing how much the recipient of our gifts will be pleased with us for having given them a gift. Instead, every gift that we present to some one else ought to be a symbol of the gift that was offered to us by Christ coming into the world and shedding his blood for us. If opportunity presents itself, we ought to first offer to every one on our giving list, God's plan of salvation. Our first gift ought to be presented to the Lord Jesus Christ in gratitude for his gift to us. We ought to present to him our bodies as a living sacrifice which is our reasonable service. We ought to present to him our complete love and loyalty. The gift which is acceptable and pleasing to God is to love the Lord with all our heart, with all our mind, and with all our soul. We ought to keep our minds clean, and our thoughts pure, and our bodies as the temple of God, spotless and clean that they may be God's dwelling place, and headquarters on earth.

    If the Lord Jesus Christ is not on the top of our Christmas gift receiving and giving list, then we are not celebrating the coming of the Lord into the world. Instead, we will be celebrating a pagan festival of lustful covetousness and self seeking for vain glory and the esteem of men.

    How sad it is that in this so called Christian country of ours, we are told that in order to be politically correct, we must exclude the word and idea of Christ from Christmas and celebrate a pagan holiday instead. This is utter blasphemy. May God have mercy on our souls and on our nation for this gross sin.

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Thought For Today - December 11 -How Long Wilt Thou Forget Me , O Lord ?

Thought For Today - December 11
 How Long Wilt Thou Forget Me, O Lord?
By: Robert A. Searles

    "How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy, my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me." Psalm 13.

    There are times in all our lives when it seems that the Lord has forgotten us and hidden his face from us, and abandoned us to the mercies of the world, the flesh, and the devil. This was true in David's life, a man who was a chosen vessel unto God, and a man after God's own heart, and it is true also in our lives as well.

    When we are left without the fellowship and nearness of the Lord we are prone to sorrow, despair, depression, and it seems that the world, the flesh, and the devil presses in upon us. It seems that our enemy, the devil is exalted over us.

    Sometimes our eyes are blinded to the presence of God by some sin in our lives, or the failure on our part to carry out a vow or a promise that we have made to him. Sometimes it is because we have not read God's messages to us from his word, or have not been in proper communication with him through prayer, and have not been listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts. Sometimes, I believe God is testing us to see if we really believe in him and trust him in times when he obscures himself from us for a little while.

    God always honors our faith in his word when we have nothing else but the word of his promise, and we just simply believe for no other reason than just because it is written in God's word. God sees our faith and counts it as righteousness.

    Though David felt far from God, though he felt that God was hiding his face from him and abandoning him, yet he knew and believed the promises of God's word that his mercy endureth forever, and that he would never leave nor forsake him. So, David kept pounding on God's door, as it were, even though it seemed that God was not at home for a little while.

    Even before the joy of David's salvation was returned to him, even before his fellowship with God was restored, David believed and trusted in the mercy of God, and he knew that his heart would once again rejoice in the salvation of the Lord. He said: "I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."

    When we feel that God has forgotten us, and that he is hiding his face from us, and has abandoned us; when we sense that our enemy, the devil is exalted over us; lets remember the written promises of the word of God that his mercy endureth forever, and that he will never leave us nor forsake us. Lets examine ourselves to see if there be any sin in our lives that needs to be confessed. Lets read God's messages to us through his word over and over to see if we have missed any important information from God. Lets stay in constant communication with God through prayer, and lets be constantly on the alert to hear God speak to our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

    Then, at times when it seems that God is not at home., lets keep pounding on God's door anyway, and even before our fellowship and joy is restored, lets trust in the mercy of God and rejoice in our renewed fellowship with God, even before we have it  This is faith. God honors faith and counts our faith as righteousness.  Lets lift up our hearts and sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with us no matter how we might feel at the moment.

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Thought For Today - December 10 - Greetings To The New Born Baby !

 Thought For Today - December 10
  Greetings to The newborn Baby!
By: Robert A. Searles

Dear Brothers and Sisters;

    If you are one of those who have just recently received, by faith, the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Lord and Savior, having realized that you needed to be saved and that you were helpless to save yourself, then you by God's grace have been "born again" into the family of God and are now a member of the family of God.

    We are rejoicing, along with the angels of heaven, in the birth of a new born baby in our family, the family of God. "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." Luke 15:10.

    Having taken God at his word, and having accepted and received his gift of love -  The Lord Jesus Christ  as your own personal Lord and Savior, you, by the power of God, have been "born again" into the family of God, and have become a child of God. The same spirit that raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead has given you eternal life.

 "But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you." Romans 8:11 

" But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. "John 1:12.

    When an infant is born into the world, his first impulse is to open his mouth, and with all the power of his brand new lungs announce to the world his arrival. So it is with the newborn child of God. Until his voice is heard proclaiming his arrival into the family of God, it is uncertain to relatives, and the world around him, whether he has been truly born and now lives.

 "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy." Psalm 107:2. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:10.

    When God saves us, by his grace, and we are 'born again", we ought to immediately open our mouths with praise and thanksgiving and let the world around us know that God has performed a miracle in our lives. 

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16.

    The immediate need of a newborn infant, and the continuing need of the child and adult is for proper food. A newborn infant is immediately given a formula for feeding which will meet his nutritional requirements for survival, proper growth, and development; likewise, the newborn spiritual child of God must have the proper spiritual food to insure his growth and development as a child in the family of God. The food for the child of God is the word of God, The Holy Bible. The Holy Bible is God's book of instruction for his children, the Bible is God's book, written by the Holy Spirit through chosen men of God. 

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction , for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation. for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1: 20-21.


    A newborn infant begins his life on milk; so the newborn child of God ought to begin his feeding on the milk of God's word, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby; if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 1 Peter 2:2,3.


    A good place to begin to drink the milk of the word is the gospel of John. It is here that you will become better acquainted with the divine son of God, our Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ, and learn of his great love for you and all of us that caused him to lay down his life for our salvation. You ought to read the gospel of John several times. Pray and ask God to reveal to you by the Holy Spirit, the truth of its' teaching. When we by faith in the redemptive power of the shed blood of Christ are saved, we are immediately, the moment we believe, baptized by the Holy Spirit of God and sealed forever in the family of God. The Holy Spirit becomes our teacher in things pertaining to God. When we are saved, the Holy Spirit literally comes to live and dwell in our bodies. This is what it means to be "born again". As we drink the word of God , as it were, the Holy Spirit aids us in the digestion and appropriation of its' truths to our lives, and thereby we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.


    After having read and studied the gospel of John several times, then it would be well to read and study all four gospels, beginning with Matthew, then the acts of the apostles, and the epistles, and then the entire bible from Genesis to revelation. This is a lifetime project as we walk the rest of our life by faith in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.


    Just as a newborn infant upon his birth becomes a member of the human race, and all mankind is his kin, so a newborn son of God upon his spiritual new birth becomes a member of the universal family or God, or the body of Christ, throughout the world; However, as God has ordained that a child born into the world has a father and mother and immediate family to love him and care for his needs, and nurture him and help him to grow and to become a useful citizen, so God has established local church assemblies to be the immediate family of the Christian. We need each other, no man is an island, no man is sufficient unto himself, no man lives to himself, and no man dies to himself. We need the mutual faith and testimony of other Christians to nurture us and to strengthen us, and to help us to become effective ambassadors for Christ our Lord and coming king.

    It behooves every born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ to seek out a strong fundamental local church fellowship where he can join in fellowship with his brothers and sisters in Christ, to worship God; and to be taught in the word of God. It is our duty as the children of God to assemble ourselves together in a local church as a testimony to the world around us that we identify with God, his word, and his people; as well as to be taught from the word of God, and to receive the ordinances of believer's baptism and fellowship around the Lord's table, at which time we call to remembrance, by the bread and the fruit of the vine, the Lord's broken body and shed blood for the remission of  our  sins. Then, work together as co-laborers in God's vineyard to win the lost to Christ. 

"And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10: 24,25.

    The name of the church or the denomination is unimportant. The important thing is that the church you attend and join is one that stands upon the fundamental truths of the word of God. That its' doctrine is sound concerning the virgin birth; and the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ; the blood atonement, and the vicarious suffering of Christ for the sins of individuals; eternal security; the death burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; his ascension into heaven, and his immanent return to earth; the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit in wooing and drawing men and women and boys and girls to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ; the sealing and keeping the believer eternally secure; the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as the other comforter that Jesus promised to be our teacher and guide; the priesthood of every believer, and his direct access to the presence and throne of God in the name of Jesus Christ.


    The word of God is the only authority for faith and practice for the child of God. Try the spirits and see if they be of God. Check everything out by the light of the word of God, reject the false, hold to the truth as found in the word of God.


    "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the spirit of God; Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God; and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God; and this is the spirit of anti-Christ, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is in the world." 1 John 4: 1,2,3

. "But though we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:8. :Moreover brethren I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand: by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures;: and that he was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve; after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once: of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-6.


    Every newborn child of God ought to be scriptually baptized as soon as possible after he has accepted the Lord as his Savior and Lord. The Lord himself went to the river where John was baptizing and requested that he be baptized. Though he himself was sinless and had no need of baptism, he did so that he who was God in the flesh, might identify with men and take their sins and infirmities on himself as their substitute. As Jesus was buried in the waters of the Jordan river to identify with men, so we, as an act of obedience and identification with the Lord ought to be buried in the water of baptism as a testimony to the world that we have died to the old man and have been buried with Christ in his death, but as we are brought up out of the water, we testify to the world that we have been raised to newness of life and have life eternal by his resurrection from the dead. Water has no power to save. It is the answer of a good conscience toward God. Salvation is by grace, and grace alone through faith.

 "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2: 8,9.

    This message is meant to be a greeting and a welcome to the new born baby into the family of God, but if you are reading this message and are not yet spiritually reborn as a child of God, perhaps you cannot understand what you have read. Please consider this: The bible teaches that the great fundamental need of all men is the forgiveness of sins and the freedom from guilt. Man cannot save himself. All men and women, boys and girls need a savior. Thank God, God has provided a Savior in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

” There is non righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3: 10. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:13. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord: "God is not willing that any should perish." "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should no perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

. What must you do to be saved? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, ask him to forgive your sins and save you. If we confess our sins he is just and faithful to forgive our sins and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness. If you will do this, you will become a newborn child of God and be saved forever. Claim the promises of God's word. Believe in your heart that God has done for you what he said he would do. 

"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Jesus said: "As you believe in your heart so be it done unto you." Go your way rejoicing in the power of God.

   
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Thought For Today - December 9 = Oh! To Be Forgiven !

 
Thought For Today -  December 9
 Oh!  To Be Forgiven!
By: Robert A. Searles

    Have you ever had someone come to you and ask you to forgive them for something that they had done to you? Have you ever gone to someone else and asked them to forgive you for something that you have done to them? What does it mean to forgive? What is forgiveness?  The dictionary says that the word forgive means to grant pardon for, or remission of something; cease to demand the penalty for; To cease to blame or feel resentment against. Forgiveness is the act of forgiving or being forgiven.

    The Lord Jesus Christ, when he was on earth, taught the importance of forgiveness; of forgiving others, and in being forgiven by God and others.

    I believe that the definition that Jesus had for forgiveness goes much deeper and beyond what the dictionary says it means to forgive. I believe that to forgive the way Jesus taught involved love, God's kind of love. God's kind of love is to be more concerned about the welfare and comfort of others than of ourselves.  Jesus was more concerned about the welfare and comfort of the human race than he was of himself. He proved this when he left the glory and comfort of heaven to come to earth to suffer and die for people - sinners like you and me.

    "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have ever lasting life." John 3:16

    Jesus taught that all people are sinners and they need to be forgiven by God. They need to be forgiven by each other, and they need to forgive others. When we know that we have sinned against God, or when we know that we have wronged someone else, we have to carry around in our hearts a heavy load of guilt. To have a load of guilt in our hearts to carry with us wherever we go is a terrible thing. It is like trying to climb a mountain, or trying to swim with a heavy sack of bricks on our back. It tends to drag us down. It clouds our minds so that we can not think clearly. It sometimes keeps us awake at night,. It will destroy our mind and our body, and our health, and can cause an early death. It separates us from God.

    God loved us so much with his kind of love that he did not want us to be miserable and loaded down with a load of sin and guilt and be destroyed and be separated from him. God wants us to admit to ourselves and to him that we are sinners and need to be forgiven for sinning against him.

To come to God and ask forgiveness of sins involves faith. God honors our faith. "And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no not so much as about the door; and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, son, thy sins be forgiven thee." Mark 2: 2.-5

When Jesus saw that these people had enough faith in his power to heal that they would go so far as to put a hole in the roof to get in where he was, he honored their faith and forgave the man's sins and healed him.

    God is all powerful. He is omnipotent. God is all knowledge - all wisdom-all intelligence- all power. God is the source and beginning of all things. All authority is in his hands. He is every where at all times. He created all things, and all things are held together by him. Only God has the power and authority to forgive sins. "But there were certain of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their heart, why doth this man speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?" Mark 2: 6,7 We know that Jesus has the power and authority to forgive sins because he is God.

    "But that ye might know that the son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (he saith unto the sick of the palsy) I say unto thee, arise and take up thy bed , and go thy way into thine house." Mark 2: 10,11.

    God's word tells us that if we will come to God by faith believing him , and ask him to forgive us of our sins, he will do just that.  "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1: 8,9.

    When God forgives us of our sins, he not only forgives, but he also forgets. He remembers our sin no more. He removes our sin as far as the east is from the west. God loves us so much that he does not want us to carry the burden and the load of our guilt because he knows that it would destroy us. So when we confess and repent of our sins, he takes the burden off our shoulders and he himself pays the penalty of our sins. He who is not to blame for anything, and he who is sinless and has no sin, takes all the blame for our sins and suffered the punishment that we ought to bear. He is willing to do this because he loves us. We ought to be very grateful and receive his forgiveness with thanksgiving and gratitude, and give ourselves right back to him for his service.

    "Surely he hath borne our grief's, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53: 4-6.

    Has someone done something to hurt you recently? Has that person come to you and asked you to forgive them? Are you willing to forgive and to forget., and to try not to remember the bad things that were done to you? Do you love that person the way that God loved each of us, and even if you are not to blame for the wrong that was done, are you willing to take all the blame and pay the penalty, and let the one who did you the wrong go free from the burden of his guilt which otherwise might destroy him if he has to carry it in his heart and in his mind?

    God's word teaches us that if we expect God to forgive us and take the blame for our sins, that we have to be willing to forgive others and take the blame for their sins and bear their burdens. The Lord's prayer says: "Forgive us our debts as we forgive those who trespass against us".

    Have you ever borne anyone else's grief? Have you carried their burdens? Have you ever been wounded for someone else's transgressions? Have you ever been bruised for another's iniquities? God's word says that if we will forgive others, he will forgive us. This is what forgiveness means: to pay the cost , take the blame, bear the shame and embarrassment.

    Unless we ask for and receive God's forgiveness, we can never enter heaven. Unless we forgive others we will not be forgiven.

    "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive your trespasses, but if ye do not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Mark 11:25, 26

    "Judge not and ye shall not be judged: condemn not and ye shall not be condemned; forgive and ye shall be forgiven." Luke 6: 37

    Only God can forgive sins against him. Only the children of God can truly know what it means to forgive and be forgiven . If you find it difficult to forgive someone who has asked your forgiveness, perhaps it is because you are not really a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Perhaps you need to be born again. Perhaps you need to go to God and confess your sins and seek his salvation and forgiveness. If you know that there is something in your life that you ought to ask God to forgive, find a solitary place where you can get alone with God. Believe that he hears you and is more than willing to forgive all manner of sins, Tell him that you believe that Jesus is the Christ sent from God, that he came to pay for our sins with his own blood on the cross, that he died , was buried, and rose again; that he is alive and will come live in our hearts if we will invite him.

    If you just can't seem to forgive and forget the wrong that someone has done to you even though they have asked your forgiveness, pray and ask the Lord to give you the grace to forgive and forget.
When you have truly forgiven others, your own burdens will be lifted. You will not be full of bad attitudes, and resentments. You will not be trying to get even. There will be no bitterness in your heart. When your own heart is cleansed of all these things, then you will experience the true peace of God. Forgiveness brings peace of mind to the forgiver as well as to the forgiven.

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Purposeful Living!

Thought For Today - June 23,2025
 Purposeful Living!
By: Robert A. Searles

    As Christians, what is our purpose for living? Our prime purpose and goal in life should be to know God and to make him known to others.  Whenever someone asks us what our goal in life is, our answer as Christians ought to be: to be a perfect child of God as Jesus is, and to be like him.

    From the moment we are born into the family of God when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we begin as little babies, and we start to grow up to become the mature children of God, and our chief goal ought to be to become the perfect children of God as Jesus is, though it is impossible to reach a complete state of sinless perfection in ourselves on this earth because of our own sin nature and  all the sin and corruption all around us.

    We should be growing and maturing daily ,and becoming closer to God daily, and becoming more like him until finally we see him in his glory when our vile bodies are changed and made like unto his glorious body.

    The opportunity to become the children of God is extended to everyone, for God has said that whosoever will, may come and as many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the children of God. What a gift has been given to us! What an opportunity is ours to be made perfect even as Jesus is perfect.

    Once we have been born into God's family, we begin to run a race, and the object of the race when we reach the finish line is to attain to the perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The finish line is not on this side of the grave, but on the other side, but the starting line begins on this side. The moment we are born into the family of God we should no longer, as Jesus taught "lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is , there will your heart be also"

    Starting out as new born babies, we ought to feed on the milk of the word. as new born babies, we ought to "desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." 1 Peter 2:2.

    The purpose of feeding babies milk is to help them to grow. If babies did not grow and go on to more solid food, we would be worried about them and consider them to be retarded. So it is with us as the children of God. We are to start out on the simple plan of salvation, the milk of the word, as it were, and gradually advance to more solid food, the meat of the word.

    "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." Hebrews 5:12-14.

    We ought to be daily maturing, and growing, and getting closer to the perfection of Christ. Our strength and our growth ought to come from our feasting on the meat of the word, and by mature prayer and meditation with the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

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Psalm 26:7

 

Thought For Today - December 7 - Take Care Of God's Business And He Will Take Care Of Ours !

 Thought For Today -December 7
 Take care of God's business and he will take care of ours.
By: Robert A. Searles

    If we will take care of God's business, he will take care of ours. Jesus said: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6: 33.

    We who are Christians ought to be so wrapped up in the things of God , and be so busy in our ministry for him that we have no time to be anxious for our food, or clothing, or any of our needs. As Christians we ought to be living in complete reverse to the way that most people in the world live. Most people spend about ninety nine percent of their time seeking for food, clothing, and shelter, and things that they think will make them happy and comfortable, and if they have about one percent of their time left, they offer it to God.

    This is why there is so much unhappiness and discontent in the world. God's plan for our lives is for us to spend one hundred percent of our time in loving and serving him, and being so wrapped up in heavenly and godly things that we have very little time to think about our food, clothing and shelter, and the pursuit of happiness.  I believe that this is one of the most difficult passages of scripture to believe and obey, and yet it is the secret and key to successful living and power with God.

    Someone related to me some time ago, whether or not it is true I do not know, that when Thomas Edison was working on some of his great inventions, he would work in a room without windows and without clocks, and he would be so engrossed in his work that he would lose all consciousness of time and forget to eat and sleep for days. It was said that when he got married, on his wedding day they were missing him during his wedding reception, and finally they found him locked in his work shop working on one of his great inventions. As I said earlier, I do not know if this story is true, but if it is, it is a good illustration as to how we Christians ought to be engrossed in the business of the Lord.

    God wants us to seek him first and put him first to the point that we are so engrossed in him and the work he has given us to do that we actually forget about all our needs and lose consciousness of our selves.

    When a person becomes a child of God he is baptized with the Holy Spirit and he becomes a member of the body of Christ, and God gives him a special gift to be used in his service to enhance his kingdom. It is our responsibility to find out what that special gift is and develop it and use it, and become engrossed in it for the furtherance of the kingdom of Christ.

    "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching, or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness." Romans 12: 6-8.

    Whatever we do we should do it with all our might and to the glory of God. When we are so busy doing God's work that we forget about the food we need, and the clothes we need, and the comforts that we think we need and would like , then we are really believing and trusting God's word and relying on him that our " heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of all these things". God honors our faith and all our needs will be automatically met without us having to spend too much time worrying about them, when we could be spending this time serving God.   If we will diligently take care of God's business, then you can be sure he will take good care of ours.

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